Why didn't I get into NOVA?

[ysera555]

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So I submitted my secondary to NOVA in December with a 3.3x sgpa and a 504 mcat with my cGPA being much higher. I found out earlier this month that I was a "pending applicant" saying that they are still considering my app. My stats are within the averages of NOVA and I was wondering why I didn't even get an interview. At this point, I'm thinking its way too late to expect anything from them. Did I apply too late? I am a CO resident but I went to college in AL. Any feedback? I really want to attend this school!

 

[spiffysteve]

December is pretty late, yeah. They had probably actively been accepting people since September, so you may have just been a bit late to the party. If this cycle is unsuccessful for you, I would recommend calling their admissions department and asking how to improve your application for next year.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

So I submitted my secondary to NOVA in December with a 3.3x sgpa and a 504 mcat with my cGPA being much higher. I found out earlier this month that I was a "pending applicant" saying that they are still considering my app. My stats are within the averages of NOVA and I was wondering why I didn't even get an interview. At this point, I'm thinking its way too late to expect anything from them. Did I apply too late? I am a CO resident but I went to college in AL. Any feedback? I really want to attend this school!

Nova gets 1000s of applicaions per year. Ever heard of the saying "don't put all your eggs in one basket". Very well qualified applicants don't get into certain schools. Apply to a bunch and someone will take you! Also applying in december is fairly late.

 

[pericardium]

Meeting averages is far from a guarantee for an interview, plenty of people above averages get rejected. Being complete in December is pretty late as well, seeing as how interviews begin as early as September.

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[Mavs88]

At the interview they claimed they interviewed 450 of like over 10,000 applicants. Don't sweat it! Applying broadly is the best strategy.

 

[UBC2014]

So I submitted my secondary to NOVA in December with a 3.3x sgpa and a 504 mcat with my cGPA being much higher. I found out earlier this month that I was a "pending applicant" saying that they are still considering my app. My stats are within the averages of NOVA and I was wondering why I didn't even get an interview. At this point, I'm thinking its way too late to expect anything from them. Did I apply too late? I am a CO resident but I went to college in AL. Any feedback? I really want to attend this school!

Low stats and a very late application, what were you expecting?

They get way more qualified applications then spots (hello Florida weather!), you should have been complete on day 1 and maybe boosted up your stats a bit would help.

 

[mathnerd88]

I was complete in July, and still did not receive an interview. My stats were way above their average. I've given up on them long ago.

 

[zafonte86]

Unfortunately with Nova sometimes you just have to email and harass them. Every email you send them they put in your file and they like people who show interest.

 

[change4med]

I was done with their secondary early (3.35/30) and got the complete phone call end of July and then just silence til a few weeks ago "pending applicant"... There are a ton of applicants for a limited amount of interview spots at all schools, you can't take it personally if you don't get an II etc.

 

[mathnerd88]

So I submitted my secondary to NOVA in December with a 3.3x sgpa and a 504 mcat with my cGPA being much higher. I found out earlier this month that I was a "pending applicant" saying that they are still considering my app. My stats are within the averages of NOVA and I was wondering why I didn't even get an interview. At this point, I'm thinking its way too late to expect anything from them. Did I apply too late? I am a CO resident but I went to college in AL. Any feedback? I really want to attend this school!

It also looks like you have no ties to FL. That may also play a role. I even did some research collaboration with Space X at KSC, and still didn't get an interview. I think they're looking for a specific type of applicant. Unfortunately I didn't fit their profile.

 

[Goro]

Bad LOR?
Poorly written essays?
Incomplete app?

So I submitted my secondary to NOVA in December with a 3.3x sgpa and a 504 mcat with my cGPA being much higher. I found out earlier this month that I was a "pending applicant" saying that they are still considering my app. My stats are within the averages of NOVA and I was wondering why I didn't even get an interview. At this point, I'm thinking its way too late to expect anything from them. Did I apply too late? I am a CO resident but I went to college in AL. Any feedback? I really want to attend this school!

 

[Brorthopedic]

Your stats are below their average

 

[mspeedwagon]

If you really want to attend Nova, I'd recommend moving to Florida, improving your MCAT/GPA, applying earlier, working on re-writing your personal statement and getting the strongest LORs possible. Most kids at Nova have some medical experience, so shadowing, working in health care and showing a strong interest in osteopathic medicine will all help your cause.

That said, there are plenty of schools out there, many of which are better than Nova. I'd recommend applying broadly to any school that you'd consider attending.

So I submitted my secondary to NOVA in December with a 3.3x sgpa and a 504 mcat with my cGPA being much higher. I found out earlier this month that I was a "pending applicant" saying that they are still considering my app. My stats are within the averages of NOVA and I was wondering why I didn't even get an interview. At this point, I'm thinking its way too late to expect anything from them. Did I apply too late? I am a CO resident but I went to college in AL. Any feedback? I really want to attend this school!

 

[DrMikeP]

With Nova it could be anything. You could have just not made a subjective cut or lacking in some area. They are also known for losing or mixing up paperwork, MCAT scores, LORs, etc.

Nova is one of those schools that respond best to persistent contact.

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[bahdahboom]

Nova has a strong in-state bias.

 

[NecrotizingFasciitis]

Unfortunately with Nova sometimes you just have to email and harass them. Every email you send them they put in your file and they like people who show interest.

Can we get a bit of a discussion going on this? Is this true? If so.. I'll definitely be sending some emails when I start applying.


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[Mad Jack]

Can we get a bit of a discussion going on this? Is this true? If so.. I'll definitely be sending some emails when I start applying.


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I got an II with zero follow up. I think people frequently confuse cause and effect.

 

[Mad Jack]

So I submitted my secondary to NOVA in December with a 3.3x sgpa and a 504 mcat with my cGPA being much higher. I found out earlier this month that I was a "pending applicant" saying that they are still considering my app. My stats are within the averages of NOVA and I was wondering why I didn't even get an interview. At this point, I'm thinking its way too late to expect anything from them. Did I apply too late? I am a CO resident but I went to college in AL. Any feedback? I really want to attend this school!

Your stats simply aren't enough to make you stand out enough to interview. NOVA likes high MCAT scores more than anything, and yours isn't all that stellar (plus we have no idea how balanced it is). Your GPA is nothing to write home about either. So your app, barring any astounding ECs probably went in the "meh" pile. One does not get into medical school by being average, you do it by standing out positively in some way.

 

[mathnerd88]

Your stats simply aren't enough to make you stand out enough to interview. NOVA likes high MCAT scores more than anything, and yours isn't all that stellar (plus we have no idea how balanced it is). Your GPA is nothing to write home about either. So your app, barring any astounding ECs probably went in the "meh" pile. One does not get into medical school by being average, you do it by standing out positively in some way.

Not sure if that's true either. My MCAT and GPA are well above their average and I haven't gotten a II...I also had better than average EC's. Now I'm not sure what's going on if Nova lost my application, or just was regionally biased.

 

[Mad Jack]

Not sure if that's true either. My MCAT and GPA are well above their average and I haven't gotten a II...I also had better than average EC's. Now I'm not sure what's going on if Nova lost my application, or just was regionally biased.

I was a New England applicant with a 3.8/35, so I wouldn't say it is regional.

 

[mathnerd88]

I was a New England applicant with a 3.8/35, so I wouldn't say it is regional.

Considering their average MCAT is only a 28, I'm not sure they really like high MCAT like Touro or Midwestern.

 

[Mad Jack]

Considering their average MCAT is only a 28, I'm not sure they really like high MCAT like Touro or Midwestern.

I've really just got anecdotal l stuff to go off of- the only classmates of mine that I know of that interviewed there had MCATs of 28+ from out of region. Of course, that was a few years ago, and it's a small sample size. Who knows what they really look for.

 

[j4pac]

Unfortunately with Nova sometimes you just have to email and harass them. Every email you send them they put in your file and they like people who show interest.

If I'm an adcom...I'm saving every email an applicant sends me to screen for red flags before an acceptance. Butt kissery wouldn't give you brownie points. I'm pretty sure that most ADCOMs operate in this fashion.

 

[zafonte86]

If I'm an adcom...I'm saving every email an applicant sends me to screen for red flags before an acceptance. Butt kissery wouldn't give you brownie points. I'm pretty sure that most ADCOMs operate in this fashion.

I sent updates every two weeks with things I was doing that enhanced my application. Seemed to work out for me in the end.

 

[j4pac]

I sent updates every two weeks with things I was doing that enhanced my application. Seemed to work out for me in the end.

If you are truly enhancing your application...such as, "oh yeah...I cured cancer last week"...then sure. But if "enhancing your application" is shadowing a doc down the road...I'm sure your med school found your emails annoying and accepted you in spite of them.

 

[zafonte86]

If you are truly enhancing your application...such as, "oh yeah...I cured cancer last week"...then sure. But if "enhancing your application" is shadowing a doc down the road...I'm sure your med school found your emails annoying and accepted you in spite of them.

I guess we will never know....

 

[nat0326]

I had a similar situation with Nova this cycle. I had a 505 MCAT, 3.9 sgpa and 3.6cgpa, lots of shadowing hours, worked as a surgical medical assistant, and multiple publications ... I got the "still pending" weird email from them a few weeks ago, then a rejection in the mail yesterday. I also went to undergrad in Miami, Florida. I did apply late in the cycle, which I think hurt me at popular schools like Nova (great program and location). I was pretty disappointed, as I would've loved to move back down there, but oh well! Trying something new is always good, and I'll be moving to Colorado in July to start school 🙂

But, to be honest, although I hated answering those long secondaries, schools with short secondaries didn't seem to end up interviewing me. I'm not sure if it's completely related, but I was happy to give them a little more information about my experiences, and why their school in specific was a good fit for me. I'm a non-traditional student and I feel like Nova didn't know enough about me to pick me out of 10,0000 people.